In-Box Review

Introduction

Alliance Model Works continues to strengthen their position on the market by releasing more and more high quality upgrades for 1/35 models. This time they come with a small, and very useful, set of decals for German WWII fire extinguishers.

contents

The set comes in the usual Alliance Model Works package - plastic bag with a header. Inside there are two identical decal sheets, 1 sheet of instructions and a piece of cardboard to keep them undamaged during postage.

review

The decal sheet includes all possible variants of fire extinguisher placards, suitable for any German WWII vehicle. To be precise you get 24 placards for almost the same number of vehicles (half-tracks had two). Quality of print is very good and you can clearly distinguish the label TETRA and some other elements. The carrier film is thin and cropped close to the edge of the placard.

For the review I took a fire extinguisher from a Dragon Panzer IV Ausf. H. hull, removed all detail that would be substituted by a PE fire extinguisher holder (also from AMW LW35051, Reviewed Here on Armorama), painted it with acrylics, cut the decal, soaked it in water for 30 seconds or so, applied it to the plastic part and removed excess water with a paper towel. Even though I had no need for any decal fixer, the instruction contains a recommendation to use GSI Creos product for that and not stronger solutions.

Another thing that is recommended by the manufacturer is that the placard should be located underneath the handle and straps. This is not a problem if you use PE for these elements. If you donít Ė place it on a side, just keep in mind that this was not common (unless you find a reference).

Conclusion

Do you like small details that add realism to your vehicles? I do, and the only conclusion I can draw is that this set of decals would please most of us.

Thanks to Alliance Model Works for sending us the review sample. Be sure to mention you saw this item reviewed here on Armorama when ordering.

SUMMARY

Highs: Great investment (probably the cheapest set on the market?), very high quality. Enough for 24 extinguishers! Lows: Canít find anyÖVerdict: Very highly recommended.

Our Thanks to Alliance Modelworks!This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

Hmm! Normally I only go for dry decals, and I already have these ones from Archer. But the small size of these suckers, and the curved, very tiny parts, that they're supposed to be rupped on to, it's a . I think these would be much easier to get right.
Thanks for the review.
Jacob

I have no idea if these are decals; but, here's a suggestion.
The placard can be cut from the paper, soaked in semigloss clear finish until it becomes translucent, then positioned on the extinguisher. Since the extinguishers are cylindrical, without any compound curves, the placard will conform without any problems. I've used this method when attaching reduced images of actual equipment data plates which I printed on standard copying paper.

I have no idea if these are decals; but, here's a suggestion.
The placard can be cut from the paper, soaked in semigloss clear finish until it becomes translucent, then positioned on the extinguisher. Since the extinguishers are cylindrical, without any compound curves, the placard will conform without any problems. I've used this method when attaching reduced images of actual equipment data plates which I printed on standard copying paper.[/quote]
These are water-slide decals.
The word "placards" in the title refers the prototype fire extinguisher markings and not the AM-Works product itself, which are water-slide decals.
HTH,